Pokémon: My Titles Know No Limits! [104]

Because of the urgent mission, August didn’t have time to enjoy the desserts made by the Indeedee.

"Blue, we have an emergency."

Blue had already suspected something serious was happening the moment she heard August talking to Lance on the phone. Without hesitation, she stuffed the remaining half of her cake into her mouth and, cheeks puffed like a hamster, mumbled, "What kind of mission?"

"It’s about Silph Co."

Saying no more, August immediately led Blue outside and released Dragonair, giving it a quick pat on the head.

"Dragonair, take us to Saffron City!"

"Ryu~!"

Letting out a soft cry, Dragonair took to the skies, carrying the two of them toward their destination.

Due to Saffron City’s no-fly zones and to avoid drawing too much attention, August recalled Dragonair as soon as they entered the city.

On their way to the Silph Co. headquarters, Lance explained the situation over the earpiece.

"...Three days ago, using evidence gathered from Vermilion Gym, the League discovered a connection between Silph Co. and Lt. Surge’s illegal dealings."

"As a result, the League sent an official inquiry to Silph Co."

"Did Silph refuse to cooperate?" August asked.

After all, their mission couldn’t possibly involve storming Silph Co. for a forced investigation. That would be a real headache.

But Lance shook his head. "No, it was the opposite. Silph responded immediately, stating they were willing to cooperate with the investigation."

Blue frowned. "Then why…?"

"The League dispatched an investigation team to Silph Co. Everything was proceeding smoothly at first. But earlier today, during what should have been their routine check-in, the team failed to submit their report.

"When we attempted to contact them, we got no response. That’s when the League confirmed—the entire team had gone missing."

"Afterward, we reached out to Silph Co., but their official response was that the investigation team had ‘left on their own accord.’"

Hearing this, August immediately sensed Team Rocket’s involvement.

Lance’s voice grew more serious. "After discussing it in a League meeting, we believe the investigation team uncovered something critical, and in order to keep it hidden, Silph Co. conspired with Team Rocket to ambush and detain them."

"We need to locate the missing team as soon as possible."

"I can’t leave the League headquarters right now. Time is running out, and we need to act before they have the chance to transfer the captives elsewhere.

"August, I need you to infiltrate Silph Co., find the missing investigators, and gather evidence. I’m counting on you."

Listening to Lance’s explanation, August actually found himself doubting that Silph Co. was the true culprit.

If this were just Silph Co., with their level of influence, even if the League discovered some incriminating evidence, there would be no need for them to go as far as kidnapping and detaining League officials.

But if Team Rocket was involved… that would make perfect sense.

Judging by the timeline, if Team Rocket was planning to make a move on Silph Co., now would be the perfect opportunity.

August shared his suspicions with Lance.

"We also suspect Team Rocket’s involvement, but we lack concrete proof—that’s why we need you to investigate."

"Got it. Leave it to me."

Infiltration and reconnaissance? He was more than familiar with that.

As for whether this mission was dangerous… as long as Giovanni himself didn’t show up, he could handle however many grunts Team Rocket threw at him.

---

As the headquarters of a multinational corporation spanning Kanto and Johto, Silph Co. had been a symbol of Saffron City ever since its construction.

Arriving near the Silph Co. building, August and Blue—having altered their appearances—entered a café near the corporate district, discreetly gathering intel from the staff.

A server thought for a moment before replying, "Now that you mention it, some of our regular customers from Silph Co. haven’t shown up in the past few days. Maybe they’ve been working overtime?"

"Oh, and the security guards at the entrance seem a bit off. They wear the same uniforms, but something about them just feels… too aggressive, you know?"

That was all August needed to hear.

Those new security guards were definitely Team Rocket in disguise.

And if Silph Co. employees hadn’t been coming in or out for several days… then the entire building was likely under Team Rocket’s control.

He exchanged a glance with Blue, who had clearly reached the same conclusion.

But why had no one in Saffron City noticed anything strange about Silph Co.?

It was understandable that ordinary civilians wouldn’t realize something was wrong.

But what about the city’s law enforcement?

"Is this just negligence… or something else?"

Keeping that question in mind, August paid for their drinks and headed toward Silph Co., his eyes locking onto the heavily guarded building.

---

"President Silph, are you still refusing to hand over the documents? Our patience is running out."

Sitting comfortably in a chair, Sird held a cup of coffee, speaking calmly yet menacingly to the man behind the office desk—Silph Co.’s president.

In the corner of the room, several unconscious bodyguards lay crumpled against the walls.

"You Rocket scum are getting bolder and bolder," President Silph growled. "The League will find out about this soon enough."

Despite the direct threat looming over him, the president remained remarkably composed.

Sird smirked. "Oh, you mean those League investigators?" She took a sip of her coffee.

"Then you should be cooperating with us. If the League gets their hands on that report, Silph Co. will be in just as much trouble as we are."

Her expression turned sharp. "We’ve worked together quite well in the past, haven’t we?"

"As long as you continue cooperating, we’d be happy to help you… deal with this problem."

"I didn’t know Lt. Surge was one of yours," President Silph muttered.

Sird let out a light laugh. "Come now, let’s not pretend. You’re the president of Silph Co.—are you really going to claim you had no idea who you were doing business with?"

"You can lie to yourself if you want, but do you think the League will believe it?"

She stroked the Persian sitting beside her, her smile laced with mockery.

The president’s expression darkened.

At that moment, regret weighed heavily on him.

He should never have gotten involved with Team Rocket in the first place.

Now, the League was investigating him, and Team Rocket was trying to pull him in even deeper.

As Sird had implied, over the years, Silph Co. had turned a blind eye to Lt. Surge’s smuggling operations, providing him with logistical support—who knew how many illegal goods had been transported under their name?

And the biggest problem—

Months ago, when the International Police’s Kanto branch was ambushed by Team Rocket, the attack had taken place aboard a Silph Co. cargo ship.

Ever since that incident, he had wanted to sever ties with Team Rocket.

But then Lt. Surge had been exposed, completely throwing his plans into chaos.

---

This is a fan translation of 人在实教，一之濑你会后悔的 by 作者：白良. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!